Piano-player.



J. CARRUTHERS.

PIANO PLAYER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.5, 1910.

1,008,009. Pa en ed Nov. 7, 1911.

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JAMES CARRU'II-IERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 JOSE SAMPERE. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-PLAYER.

Application filed January 5, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES CARRUTHERS, a subject of the King of England, residing at New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new mid useful Improvements in Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying draw- 111 Fly invention relates to improvements in automatic pianos and has special reference to an improved bearing for the striking lever whereby the same may be shifted and adjusted to allow spacing for the clearance of the piano brackets, etc.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated in Figure l a vertical transverse section of part of a piano illustrating an application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View on the line 22 looking upwardly at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the bearings with part of the lever in section and Fig. 4 a side view of a suitable key for adjusting the same. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the striking levers with the bearing mounted in position, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the bearings.

7 is the piano casing provided with the usual pneumatics 8 adapted to operate the striking rods 9 which operate the striking levers 10 which operate upon the abstract rods 13 of the piano action and which are operated by the piano keys 12 when the piano is played manually.

13 is a piano bracket or other obstruction such as may be found in the interior of a piano and which interferes with the position of the levers 10.

141 is a suitable bar upon which bearings such as 15 constructed about as shown in Fig. 3 may be mounted. These bearings comprise preferably a piece of flat soft material such as brass bent back upon itself and providing in the loop thereof a suitable bearing for the pin 16 which penetrates the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1911.

Serial No. 536,487.

lever as shown. The top of the bearing is also preferably bent back with two little fingers such as 17 and 18 to engage the support and is held in position in any suitable manner as by screws 19. The interior of the lever is preferably cut away as shown at 20 to permit of the insertion of the turning tool or key shown in Fig. 4. After the levers and bearings have been suitably mounted upon the bar 14, and have been placed inside of the piano, by using the tool or key shown in Fig. 4, the bearings can be twisted thereby enabling the levers to work at an angle of separation as shown in Fig. 2 so as to clear a bracket or other framework 13. By cutting away the levers in this manner and employing a bearing of this'type, it has been found that the parts can be quickly and securely assembled and adjusted to the proper position giving excellent results in construction.

Of course it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A piano action and a player action therefor, having player levers, and twistable bearings for said levers, each of said bearings comprising an entering portion and a portion adapted to be fastened to said player action, each of said levers having a cut away portion to receive said entering portion, means for securing said levers upon said bearings, means for securing said bear ings to said player action, and said cut away portion providing sufiicientclearance for the introduction of a suitable tool to twist said bearing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES CARRUTHERS. WVitnesses:

THoMAs A. HILL, LOUISE ENDERLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

